OSLO: Norway on Wednesday announced a fresh donation to the financially-hit UN agency for Palestinian refugees as humanitarian crisis worsens in Gaza Strip due to Israel-Hamas war.
UNRWA plays a vital role in distributing financial assistance and providing life-saving help to Gaza, where an Israeli siege has triggered dire shortages of food, fuel, medicine and water.
However, major donors to UNRWA including Britain, Germany and the United States suspended funding after accusations that some of its staff were involved in the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.
Foreign Minister of Norway Espen Barth Eide said the 275 million Norwegian kroner ($26 million) transferred to the aid agency would support Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, including occupied east Jerusalem, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.
Today, Norway transfers $26 million to @UNRWA, the UN Agency that supports Palestinian refugees.
UNRWA is the backbone of humanitarian efforts in Gaza. Its services are critical for millions of people in extreme need. https://t.co/4dIcCaEEun
— Espen Barth Eide (@EspenBarthEide) February 7, 2024
International Development Minister Anne Beathe Tvinnereim said the people of Gaza are starving and dying of diseases because of collapsed health system.
Eide said that allegations that 12 of UNRWA’s 13,000 staff took part in the October 7 attack do not justify the communal punishment of Gazans. She urged the countries announced to suspend the support to think about the consequences.
UNRWA was formed in 1949 to protect and help Palestinian refugees and is almost entirely aided by voluntary contributions.
Eide added Norway will never back out of this commitment, at a time when Gaza is essentially in ruins.
According to the Gaza’s health ministry at least 27,585 Palestinians have been killed, with thousands buried under rubble.
